PREVIEWING THE MLB 2019 SEASON
It's the most wonderful time of the year... We FINALLY get to take a look back into baseball and prepare for the 2019 season.
Below are the predictions for each division in baseball with the money and the b.s. for each team in baseball (as this is your favorite podcast Where Money Talks and BS Walks!)
Feel free like always to send me all the love and hate for these rankings by commenting on Facebook or e-mailing: moosesmulligans@gmail.com
Let's get to the divisional predictions! Power Rankings will be posted for the first time right before season starts!
National League
NL East
1. Washington Nationals (HOT TAKE)
Money: They are my favorites to win the National League (HOT TAKE for a later article). It's about damn time for them to make a playoff impact. I don't they're done adding. Kimbrel, Keuchel still out there and the trade deadline they MUST be buyers with an expiring Strasburg contract and an aging Scherzer.
BS: Strasburg's health, possible "power outage" in the middle of the order without Harper, a history of under-performing. All of these former trends of the Nationals plus no Harper need to be no where near an issue for them to be successful. I do NOT think it will be an issue.
2. Philadelphia Phillies
Money: They spent just about all of it. Stupid amounts of it as their GM will tell ya. There is no doubt they have added some serious firepower to the top of their order with Harper, Realmuto, Segura, McCutchen. They added playoff experience to their bullpen with Robertson.
BS: Stupid money? The pressure to win now with Harper is already apparent with the fans that boo'd Santa Clause. They finished so poorly last year and only recorded 80 wins which might leave to management to blame if they come out of the gates slow.
3. Atlanta Braves
Money: They have some serious young talent with Albies, Acuna, and Swanson hopefully back healthy. They add Josh Donaldson at a very cheap price and he has the opportunity to bat either ahead of or behind Freddie Freeman.
BS: Can Donaldson bounce back to an almost MVP form? The Atlanta pitching staff is very sketchy and they haven't made any efforts to improve it.
4. New York Mets
Money: They bring in very consistent bats in both Cano and Lowrie. They made a sneaky-good add of Wilson Ramos behind the plate. And the addition of Diaz to an already great starting pitching staff is quite the combo. So why 4th place? (See below)
BS: The health of their pitching staff is always in question and has been a serious issue the past three years. Plus, the rest of the division has been stocking up on talent while the Mets were paying sub-par older veterans. Also, not every Brodie Van Wagenen client can play on the same team as they almost all play the same position.
5. Miami Marlins
Money: The young talent is slowly going to trickle up to the major league level. I know it hurts watching Yelich win an MVP, but time will heal these wounds as the farm system is growing at a very good pace.
BS: There is little to no chance of them being ready to be competitive this season. Maybe we could just add to the money category that the sculpture in left-center is finally outside the stadium where it belongs.
NL Central
1. Chicago Cubs
Money: They are my favorites in this division with no doubt in my mind (HOT TAKE). They had nothing but injuries last year and they still won 95 games! They get Kris Bryant, Brandon Morrow, and Yu Darvish back healthy and they should once again be competitive for the division and in the playoffs with the emergence of Javy Baez.
BS: The injuries to Morrow and Darvish seem to be history repeating itself which could happen again. Kris Bryant MUST be an impact this season, no excuses.
2. Milwaukee Brewers
Money: They made a great trade to get an MVP in Christian Yelich. The rest of the lineup is very solid and their bullpen could arguably be the best in baseball.
BS: Repeating performances is very difficult unless your name is Tom Brady or Bill Bellichick. Their starting pitching is suspect and there is a lack of depth if injuries creep in. Plus, the NL Central is no joke with an improved Reds, Cardinals, and possibly healthy Cubs.
3. St. Louis Cardinals
Money: Paul Goldschmidt is the PERFECT fit for this team. Who doesn't love a star right-handed hitting first basemen in St. Louis? They add Andrew Miller and his experience to the bullpen. They'll be looking to feed off the hot finish they had to last year.
BS: Tell me if you've heard this one before... Their defense is suspect. I feel like that never changes. They also have the issue of Yadi's age and Carlos Martinez's injuries and inconsistencies. Plus, the Dexter Fowler contract has made Heyward's contract look not so terrible.
4. Cincinnati Reds
Money: Don't look now, but the Reds are on the upswing. They add solid bats in Kemp and Puig to a teeny-tiny stadium. Votto is due to bounce back and they added some nice pitching with Sonny Gray reunited with his Vandy pitching coach, Roark, and Alex Wood to go with their very undrrated closer Iglesias.
BS: They won 67 games last year and pitchers that have gone to Cincinnati have historically struggled.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
Money: They still have a very good outfield with Dickerson, Marte, and Polanco. They have a history of over-performing and Josh Bell may be able to take it to the next level this year.
BS: It is very difficult to keep up with this NL Central division. Every other team made key additions or has key players returning except for Pittsburgh. Staying idle is a dangerous thing in baseball.
NL West
1. Colorado Rockies (HOT TAKE)
Money: The Rockies only finished one game away from winning the division with 91 wins and that's because they fell off at the end. I love the sneaky addition of Daniel Murphy to their lineup and it may finally be the time David Dahl will be healthy and get consistent at-bats. Plus, their pitching staff is surprisingly good and it looks like they may have found a way to create a pitching staff in Coors.
BS: Their injury history is not pretty with Daniel Murphy, Dahl, Desmond, Wade Davis all being potential injury risks.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
Money: They have been to the World Series back-to-back years which means they are doing something right. They are super-efficient in the lineup and find a way to grind out wins.
BS: Kershaw is not healthy and I don't trust the rest of the rotation. We know Rich Hill will miss at least half the season for a blister and the lineup does not look as fearsome as other in the National League.
3. San Francisco Giants (HOT TAKE)
Money: They still have veterans who know how to do it and a manager who knows how to get them there. Their young talent is very much unknown how it will react when reaching the majors, but players like Dereck Rodriguez and this team being 100% healthy could bring them back up the rankings.
BS: Bumgarner and Posey have not been healthy and their young talent hasn't panned out to this point. Plus, their bullpen is full of question marks.
4. San Diego Padres
Money: They signed a very solid bat and hall of fame glove in Manny Machado to go with the #1 ranked farm system. AND they still have salary room left without going into the luxury area. Things might finally be going in the right direction for this franchise.
BS: They haven't won for a long time. Like a realllyyyyyy long time. The last time Machado was in a non-winning environment he was requesting a trade and throwing bats at Josh Donaldson. Is he the guy you want to be the role model for those young guys coming up for the Padres?
5. Arizona Diamondbacks
Money: Zack Greinke has been solid for them but he is the only one left and is the only one receiving said money.
BS: Greinke's money. It's a black hole in their books that is still handcuffing them.
American League
AL East
1. New York Yankees (HOT TAKE)
Money: I'm a huge fan of the LeMahieu and Tulo additions, as the Yankees didn't break the bank for them. Paxton addresses their need to bolster up the front of the rotation and their bullpen became even more fearsome with the addition of swing-and-miss specialist Adam Ottavino. Even though they didn't break out the checkbooks, they might have done enough to threaten the Red Sox and take the division.
BS: They didn't break out the checkbook. They'll be missing one of their best and only left handed hitters in Sir Didi for most of the season and they replaced him with righties. I'm not THAT worried about being too righty or lefty, but I am worried about the absence of the defense offense of Didi.
2. Boston Red Sox
Money: They're returning champs that retained pretty much their entire starting batting line-up. Your worry of Eduardo Nunez not performing well may not be an issue if Devers can continue to progress. Any team that wins 108 games and their starting lineup didn't change is one to be reckoned with.
BS: The supporting cast has changed. Kimbrel is not currently on the team and Joe Kelly is gone. The health of Chris Sale and the pitching ability of David Price are always question marks. Plus, the hardest thing to do in baseball is repeat.
3. Tampa Bay Rays
Money: They were the biggest winners at the trade deadline, in my opinion. Their outfield is arguably one of the best in baseball and they are well-known for exceeding expectations and making the best of their young talent, as proven in Blake Snell winning a Cy Young Award.
BS: We'll see if Snell is able to repeat his success. Also, this AL East division is no joke and will make it difficult to take a Wild Card spot.
4. Toronto Blue Jays
Money: $20+ mil of their money is going to Tulo on the Yankees, but they are finally financially flexible to raise home-grown talent and be able to re-sign them later on. This will be great news down the road once Vlad Jr. comes on up.
BS: Even though they have young talent, they don't have a crazy amount of talent at the major league level.
5. Baltimore Orioles
Money: They're not spending any of it since the Chris Davis deal. They have no where to go off last year but up.
BS: They don't want to bring back Adam Jones. He is the perfect guy to help usher in the new young talent that they got in the Machado trade.
AL Central
1. Cleveland Indians
Money: They're in the AL Central which allows them to basically start preparing for the playoffs the second Spring Training ends. A tip of the cap to Terry Francona for keeping this team as consistently successful as they've been and it looks like they'll be back at it again. I look forward to seeing Jose Ramirez compete for an MVP trophy.
BS: They lost some serious bullpen and made some changes to a different style with Edwin Encarnacion departing and Carlos Santana returning. The question will be, how will they do when facing a real postseason team when Trevor Bauer is doing... well... whatever Trevor Bauer does.
2. Minnesota Twins
Money: They've collected the young talent and added Schoop and Cruz to it. They're also in the AL Central which should pad their win totals.
BS: Pitching staff has been very inconsistent and their bullpen is atrocious. If they make it to a Wild Card game, as of right now I'd have NO confidence in their pitching to bring home a win.
3. Detroit Tigers
Money: The demolition of the 2018 season has led to rebirth in the 2019 season. The Tigers actually have some salary room and have some young talent working its way through the organization. Plus, Miggy looks pretty healthy in Spring Training so far.
BS: They just don't have the talent to be taken seriously. They are definitely moving in the right direction but not enough to compete this year.
4. Kansas City Royals
Money: The speed and young talent. They also have some young talent that finally might be major league ready which could raise their win-total this year.
BS: They lost Salvador Perez for the year already which is not a great start. The starting pitching and bullpen is suspect.
5. Chicago White Sox
Money: Their farm system is legit and on the rise. They have young talent on the mound and in the field.
BS: They didn't make a free agent splash which doesn't give them the firepower to commit this year. They'll need patience and an open checkbook heading into the next two off-seasons.
AL West
1. Houston Astros
Money: They arguably are the deepest team in baseball. They have all the starting pitching and hitting you can imagine and they improved their bullpen. I really like the addition of Michael Brantley because he is finally on a team where he won't be required to play every day which gives him a chance to be healthy in the playoffs.
BS: They lost Keuchel and McCullers is already hurt. The starting pitching will be more thin then it was last year, and continued success is the hardest to do in sports.
2. Oakland Athletics
Money: The A's are in the business of proving you wrong. I look at their depth chart and I think the same thing I thought last year in that I don't see how they're going to win 90+ games this year. Last year they won 97... Yep, let that sink in, 9-7... Somehow someway they'll find a way.
BS: Everything I just wrote is not a plan. The joy-ride has to come to an end at some point.
3. Los Angeles Angels
Money: Mike Trout. He is the best player in baseball and he plays for the Angels which is a positive for the Angels.
BS: Mike Trout does not have the supporting cast he deserves. He needs more fire power around him in the lineup than an Albert Pujols on his way out.
4. Seattle Mariners (HOT TAKE)
Money: They add a solid bat in Edwin Encarnacion and collected a lot of highly rated prospects in the off-season.
BS: The A's beat them out last year and they didn't go all-in on winning now or all-in on rebuilding. Ask the Detroit Tigers how that middle ground game ends up. There's nothing in the middle of the road except yellow lines and road kill...
5. Texas Rangers
Money: They do have some prospects that I will definitely be keeping an eye on this year. Lance Lynn and Drew Smyly will help eat some innings.
BS: They don't have the talent to seriously contend in a world where it's all-in or all-out and rebuild. The Rangers smartly already started their rebuild, which spells for some rough times this year.
Below are the predictions for each division in baseball with the money and the b.s. for each team in baseball (as this is your favorite podcast Where Money Talks and BS Walks!)
Feel free like always to send me all the love and hate for these rankings by commenting on Facebook or e-mailing: moosesmulligans@gmail.com
Let's get to the divisional predictions! Power Rankings will be posted for the first time right before season starts!
National League
NL East
Money: They are my favorites to win the National League (HOT TAKE for a later article). It's about damn time for them to make a playoff impact. I don't they're done adding. Kimbrel, Keuchel still out there and the trade deadline they MUST be buyers with an expiring Strasburg contract and an aging Scherzer.
BS: Strasburg's health, possible "power outage" in the middle of the order without Harper, a history of under-performing. All of these former trends of the Nationals plus no Harper need to be no where near an issue for them to be successful. I do NOT think it will be an issue.
Money: They spent just about all of it. Stupid amounts of it as their GM will tell ya. There is no doubt they have added some serious firepower to the top of their order with Harper, Realmuto, Segura, McCutchen. They added playoff experience to their bullpen with Robertson.
BS: Stupid money? The pressure to win now with Harper is already apparent with the fans that boo'd Santa Clause. They finished so poorly last year and only recorded 80 wins which might leave to management to blame if they come out of the gates slow.
Money: They have some serious young talent with Albies, Acuna, and Swanson hopefully back healthy. They add Josh Donaldson at a very cheap price and he has the opportunity to bat either ahead of or behind Freddie Freeman.
BS: Can Donaldson bounce back to an almost MVP form? The Atlanta pitching staff is very sketchy and they haven't made any efforts to improve it.
Money: They bring in very consistent bats in both Cano and Lowrie. They made a sneaky-good add of Wilson Ramos behind the plate. And the addition of Diaz to an already great starting pitching staff is quite the combo. So why 4th place? (See below)
BS: The health of their pitching staff is always in question and has been a serious issue the past three years. Plus, the rest of the division has been stocking up on talent while the Mets were paying sub-par older veterans. Also, not every Brodie Van Wagenen client can play on the same team as they almost all play the same position.
Money: The young talent is slowly going to trickle up to the major league level. I know it hurts watching Yelich win an MVP, but time will heal these wounds as the farm system is growing at a very good pace.
BS: There is little to no chance of them being ready to be competitive this season. Maybe we could just add to the money category that the sculpture in left-center is finally outside the stadium where it belongs.
NL Central
Money: They are my favorites in this division with no doubt in my mind (HOT TAKE). They had nothing but injuries last year and they still won 95 games! They get Kris Bryant, Brandon Morrow, and Yu Darvish back healthy and they should once again be competitive for the division and in the playoffs with the emergence of Javy Baez.
BS: The injuries to Morrow and Darvish seem to be history repeating itself which could happen again. Kris Bryant MUST be an impact this season, no excuses.
Money: They made a great trade to get an MVP in Christian Yelich. The rest of the lineup is very solid and their bullpen could arguably be the best in baseball.
BS: Repeating performances is very difficult unless your name is Tom Brady or Bill Bellichick. Their starting pitching is suspect and there is a lack of depth if injuries creep in. Plus, the NL Central is no joke with an improved Reds, Cardinals, and possibly healthy Cubs.
Money: Paul Goldschmidt is the PERFECT fit for this team. Who doesn't love a star right-handed hitting first basemen in St. Louis? They add Andrew Miller and his experience to the bullpen. They'll be looking to feed off the hot finish they had to last year.
BS: Tell me if you've heard this one before... Their defense is suspect. I feel like that never changes. They also have the issue of Yadi's age and Carlos Martinez's injuries and inconsistencies. Plus, the Dexter Fowler contract has made Heyward's contract look not so terrible.
Money: Don't look now, but the Reds are on the upswing. They add solid bats in Kemp and Puig to a teeny-tiny stadium. Votto is due to bounce back and they added some nice pitching with Sonny Gray reunited with his Vandy pitching coach, Roark, and Alex Wood to go with their very undrrated closer Iglesias.
BS: They won 67 games last year and pitchers that have gone to Cincinnati have historically struggled.
Money: They still have a very good outfield with Dickerson, Marte, and Polanco. They have a history of over-performing and Josh Bell may be able to take it to the next level this year.
BS: It is very difficult to keep up with this NL Central division. Every other team made key additions or has key players returning except for Pittsburgh. Staying idle is a dangerous thing in baseball.
NL West
Money: The Rockies only finished one game away from winning the division with 91 wins and that's because they fell off at the end. I love the sneaky addition of Daniel Murphy to their lineup and it may finally be the time David Dahl will be healthy and get consistent at-bats. Plus, their pitching staff is surprisingly good and it looks like they may have found a way to create a pitching staff in Coors.
BS: Their injury history is not pretty with Daniel Murphy, Dahl, Desmond, Wade Davis all being potential injury risks.
Money: They have been to the World Series back-to-back years which means they are doing something right. They are super-efficient in the lineup and find a way to grind out wins.
BS: Kershaw is not healthy and I don't trust the rest of the rotation. We know Rich Hill will miss at least half the season for a blister and the lineup does not look as fearsome as other in the National League.
Money: They still have veterans who know how to do it and a manager who knows how to get them there. Their young talent is very much unknown how it will react when reaching the majors, but players like Dereck Rodriguez and this team being 100% healthy could bring them back up the rankings.
BS: Bumgarner and Posey have not been healthy and their young talent hasn't panned out to this point. Plus, their bullpen is full of question marks.
Money: They signed a very solid bat and hall of fame glove in Manny Machado to go with the #1 ranked farm system. AND they still have salary room left without going into the luxury area. Things might finally be going in the right direction for this franchise.
BS: They haven't won for a long time. Like a realllyyyyyy long time. The last time Machado was in a non-winning environment he was requesting a trade and throwing bats at Josh Donaldson. Is he the guy you want to be the role model for those young guys coming up for the Padres?
Money: Zack Greinke has been solid for them but he is the only one left and is the only one receiving said money.
BS: Greinke's money. It's a black hole in their books that is still handcuffing them.
American League
AL East
Money: I'm a huge fan of the LeMahieu and Tulo additions, as the Yankees didn't break the bank for them. Paxton addresses their need to bolster up the front of the rotation and their bullpen became even more fearsome with the addition of swing-and-miss specialist Adam Ottavino. Even though they didn't break out the checkbooks, they might have done enough to threaten the Red Sox and take the division.
BS: They didn't break out the checkbook. They'll be missing one of their best and only left handed hitters in Sir Didi for most of the season and they replaced him with righties. I'm not THAT worried about being too righty or lefty, but I am worried about the absence of the defense offense of Didi.
Money: They're returning champs that retained pretty much their entire starting batting line-up. Your worry of Eduardo Nunez not performing well may not be an issue if Devers can continue to progress. Any team that wins 108 games and their starting lineup didn't change is one to be reckoned with.
BS: The supporting cast has changed. Kimbrel is not currently on the team and Joe Kelly is gone. The health of Chris Sale and the pitching ability of David Price are always question marks. Plus, the hardest thing to do in baseball is repeat.
Money: They were the biggest winners at the trade deadline, in my opinion. Their outfield is arguably one of the best in baseball and they are well-known for exceeding expectations and making the best of their young talent, as proven in Blake Snell winning a Cy Young Award.
BS: We'll see if Snell is able to repeat his success. Also, this AL East division is no joke and will make it difficult to take a Wild Card spot.
Money: $20+ mil of their money is going to Tulo on the Yankees, but they are finally financially flexible to raise home-grown talent and be able to re-sign them later on. This will be great news down the road once Vlad Jr. comes on up.
BS: Even though they have young talent, they don't have a crazy amount of talent at the major league level.
Money: They're not spending any of it since the Chris Davis deal. They have no where to go off last year but up.
BS: They don't want to bring back Adam Jones. He is the perfect guy to help usher in the new young talent that they got in the Machado trade.
AL Central
Money: They're in the AL Central which allows them to basically start preparing for the playoffs the second Spring Training ends. A tip of the cap to Terry Francona for keeping this team as consistently successful as they've been and it looks like they'll be back at it again. I look forward to seeing Jose Ramirez compete for an MVP trophy.
BS: They lost some serious bullpen and made some changes to a different style with Edwin Encarnacion departing and Carlos Santana returning. The question will be, how will they do when facing a real postseason team when Trevor Bauer is doing... well... whatever Trevor Bauer does.
Money: They've collected the young talent and added Schoop and Cruz to it. They're also in the AL Central which should pad their win totals.
BS: Pitching staff has been very inconsistent and their bullpen is atrocious. If they make it to a Wild Card game, as of right now I'd have NO confidence in their pitching to bring home a win.
Money: The demolition of the 2018 season has led to rebirth in the 2019 season. The Tigers actually have some salary room and have some young talent working its way through the organization. Plus, Miggy looks pretty healthy in Spring Training so far.
BS: They just don't have the talent to be taken seriously. They are definitely moving in the right direction but not enough to compete this year.
Money: The speed and young talent. They also have some young talent that finally might be major league ready which could raise their win-total this year.
BS: They lost Salvador Perez for the year already which is not a great start. The starting pitching and bullpen is suspect.
Money: Their farm system is legit and on the rise. They have young talent on the mound and in the field.
BS: They didn't make a free agent splash which doesn't give them the firepower to commit this year. They'll need patience and an open checkbook heading into the next two off-seasons.
AL West
Money: They arguably are the deepest team in baseball. They have all the starting pitching and hitting you can imagine and they improved their bullpen. I really like the addition of Michael Brantley because he is finally on a team where he won't be required to play every day which gives him a chance to be healthy in the playoffs.
BS: They lost Keuchel and McCullers is already hurt. The starting pitching will be more thin then it was last year, and continued success is the hardest to do in sports.
Money: The A's are in the business of proving you wrong. I look at their depth chart and I think the same thing I thought last year in that I don't see how they're going to win 90+ games this year. Last year they won 97... Yep, let that sink in, 9-7... Somehow someway they'll find a way.
BS: Everything I just wrote is not a plan. The joy-ride has to come to an end at some point.
Money: Mike Trout. He is the best player in baseball and he plays for the Angels which is a positive for the Angels.
BS: Mike Trout does not have the supporting cast he deserves. He needs more fire power around him in the lineup than an Albert Pujols on his way out.
Money: They add a solid bat in Edwin Encarnacion and collected a lot of highly rated prospects in the off-season.
BS: The A's beat them out last year and they didn't go all-in on winning now or all-in on rebuilding. Ask the Detroit Tigers how that middle ground game ends up. There's nothing in the middle of the road except yellow lines and road kill...
Money: They do have some prospects that I will definitely be keeping an eye on this year. Lance Lynn and Drew Smyly will help eat some innings.
BS: They don't have the talent to seriously contend in a world where it's all-in or all-out and rebuild. The Rangers smartly already started their rebuild, which spells for some rough times this year.
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